The opening shot for Milram captain Linus Gerdemann and the Tour de France was fired this past weekend. The rider from the Dortmund team underwent a series of aerodynamic tests on the track in Kaarst-Büttgen. His aerodynamics on his time trial bike was optimized, under the direction of Swiss expert Andreas Walser.
"The test can be called a warm-up for my Tour 2009 preparations. It is part of the base training," he said. "My personal requirement is and always has been to get the optimum out of my body and the material. That makes a test like this indispensable. Just like a wind tunnel test, with which I had a good experience last year and which I will do this year again if possible."
The series of aerodynamic tests serve to determine the most aerodynamic and most comfortable position on the time trial bike. The main requirement for Gerdemann was to ride a constant speed of 45 km/h over a specified course. The electronically transmitted data of the wattage he produced by differing saddle and handlebar positions, will be used to adapt his time trial bike.